Widevine Technologies, the world’s most deployed provider of downloadable content protection and digital forensic solutions, today announced the immediate availability of Application Level Encryption. Application Level Encryption is a patent-pending method of encrypting video content, eliminating the need to integrate with downstream video infrastructure equipment. It significantly reduces the capital and operational costs normally required to integrate content protection with VOD and nPVR/nDVR systems and expands video operators’ flexibility to securely deploy a variety of video consumer devices, business models and service offerings.

Unlike traditional DRM/CAS solutions, Widevine Cypher Suite encrypts content anytime prior to the video processing on a VOD or NPVR/NDVR system, including upstream at a content provider's location. It also enables operators the flexibility to deploy multiple VOD systems within the same content delivery network. Finally, it renders obsolete the traditional process of decrypting and re-encrypting content late in the process—a major concern with content owners. In traditional systems, encryption is typically applied too late in the process—and removed too early—to provide the appropriate level of encryption required for next generation video networks.

"Widevine is focused on innovations that reduce the capital and operational costs of service providers," said Glenn Morten, CTO and VP of Engineering at Widevine. "In DVB systems, two types of encryption have been defined: transport stream and program elementary stream level encryption. In order to achieve maximum flexibility while maintaining compliant MPEG streams, Widevine has developed another type—Application Level Encryption—which eliminates long and costly integration efforts with video network components."

Widevine's Application Level Encryption has been tested and is deployed with the following video server vendors: Arroyo, Alcatel OVS, Broadbus, Concurrent, Entone™, Infovalue, Kasenna®, NCube/C-COR™, QuickTime® Darwin Server, Real Networks, SeaChange®, Streaming21, Windows Media Server and VideoLAN.

According to Steve McKay, Entone CEO, "As a leading provider of VOD solutions, Entone realizes the importance of effectively protecting premium VOD content. Widevine's encryption solution enables secure nPVR which is becoming increasingly important to our customers."

"Widevine is committed to delivering an open content protection platform to our customers” said Brian Baker, President and CEO of Widevine Technologies. “Our unique Application Level Encryption offers a superior and more cost-effective platform for securing the delivery of broadcast and VOD content to current and future Widevine customers."

Widevine Cypher Suite offers operators worldwide downloadable conditional access and digital rights management protection for linear broadcast and VOD content. The system delivers the studio-mandated protection operators require to license premium content for telco, cable, satellite and broadband network services.